


When the Universe Gives You An Opportunity, You Take It

by sanctum_c



Series: FFVII Rare Pair Week 2020 [3]
Category: Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997)
Genre: Multi, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Rare Pairings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-29
Updated: 2020-06-29
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:02:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24986518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sanctum_c/pseuds/sanctum_c
Summary: “Let me start again-“ Another deep breath. “I am attracted to Tifa. And I’m attracted to Cloud. I like to think after spending so much time with you both you at least like me sufficiently that the idea of going on a date is not an awful proposition?”The party is stuck at the Gold Saucer on Enchantment Night. Aeris decides tonight is the night for a date.
Relationships: Aerith Gainsborough/Tifa Lockhart/Cloud Strife
Series: FFVII Rare Pair Week 2020 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1800481
Comments: 7
Kudos: 23





	When the Universe Gives You An Opportunity, You Take It

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the prompt 'Slice of Us: day to day, date, domestic moments, gifts'

Aeris took a deep breath. Okay. Time to try this. Take the opportunity the universe had handed her. Before taking the risk of heading for what felt like a showdown with Sephiroth. Step up to the Ghost Hotel door. Smooth down her dress. Check her ribbon, re-adjust her jacket. Check hemline. Neckline. Fiddle with her bangle- Nervous for some reason. Well, this was more of a departure from the norm. And so long as she was reading the situation correctly this would not end in heartache.

She knocked on the door, waited and tried the handle. The door swung open with a slightly tinny, artificial creak. A flash of thunder whitened the windows and a roll of thunder followed it. Tifa glanced up from her book and shot Aeris a questioning look. “Hope I’m not disturbing you?”

“No?” Tifa. She dropped the book.

Aeris shot her a smile. “Well, given we’re stuck here, and there’s a big thing happening tonight but there’s not a lot of people around because we’re stuck here- Do you want to go on a date?”

Tifa’s eyes widened. “You- You’re asking me out?” She frowned. “But I thought- I mean, I-“ She blinked hurriedly.

A few steps closer to the bed, her hands clasped behind her back. “If it helps you don’t have to think of it as purely romantic. Dates are-“ She gestured vaguely at the air. “Getting to know you opportunities. I mean, I feel like I know you quite well and I like spending time with you.”

“I like spending time with you too,” Tifa said, her voice quiet, her cheeks pinker.

“Glad to hear it. And tonight feels like a good opportunity to spend more time with each other. And we see how things go. I mean, this’ll be different. We’re not hiking, or resting, or trying to forget what happened on the ship-“ Tifa winced. “Tonight, we see how we are in a more mundane situation.” Another roll of thunder above the hotel. “As mundane as this place is.”

Tifa nodded. “Okay.” She smiled. “Let’s try.”

“Great!” Aeris stepped back and let Tifa gather her PHS and purse. While nice to take her hand, there remained the question how she was going to react to this next part. “We just have one stop before we begin.”

“Stop?” Tifa stumbled as Aeris changed direction; heading away from the stairs to the hotel lobby to follow the corridor further along.

“Yes. I-“ No good way of talking this through. She pushed open the door; another flash of lightning and Cloud met her gaze as she stepped into the room.

“This is-“ Tifa cut off.

“Hi Cloud.”

“Hi?”

Aeris crossed the room. Moment of truth. “I wanted to know if you would like to join me and Tifa in a date?”

He flushed red; redder than Tifa. “A date?”

“Yes. I mean, I do owe you a date? Payment for helping me escape Reno?” Aeris arched one eyebrow. Cloud struggled to regain his composure and nodded. And shook his head.

“But that was a date with you. And Tifa’s here-“

Aeris stepped back and put her arm around Tifa; she was stiff and unsure. Not an auspicious beginning, but this could still work. “Are you telling me you don’t want to go out with Tifa?” Unfair question; Cloud found the floor terribly interesting. Tifa murmured something and Aeris sighed. “I thought this way might be better but.” She stepped back. “Let me start again-“ Another deep breath. “I am attracted to Tifa. And I’m attracted to Cloud. I like to think after spending so much time with you both you at least like me sufficiently that the idea of going on a date is not an awful proposition?”

Cloud nodded, still unwilling to meet her gaze; Tifa nodded.

“Good.” Now the harder part. “But it would be remiss of me to only choose to give my affections to one of you-“ She sidled closer to Tifa and took her hand. “When-“ She reached out and took Cloud’s. “It’s very clear you-“ A squeeze of Cloud’s hand. “Are also attracted to you-“ A squeeze of Tifa’s hand. “And you are attracted to you.” She squeezed their hands in the opposite order. Another breath. “I’ve laid all my cards on the table; by my reckoning we are all into each other, and so, I figure we should try.”

Cloud inhaled. “Okay.”

“Okay?” He nodded. “Tifa?”

“Yes.” Her voice was quiet, her cheeks still reddened, but she met her gaze and smiled back. Aeris squeezed both their hands.

“Amazing. Shall we see what the evening brings...?”

She kept the conversation going as best she could as they wandered out of the hotel. Perhaps dropping the revelation to the two of them of their feelings for each other was a step too far and she could have achieved the effect more gently, but too.

Exiting the transit tube resulted in the trio directed to the theatre; Enchantment Night was not doing well given no one could get in. The attendant inside the amphitheatre greeted them with a wide smile. “Congratulations! You’re a hundredth couple!” He faltered when he realised there was three of them. “I mean-“

“What do we win?” Aeris took both her partner’s hands.

“Uh- Well, it’s intended for a couple-“ He started.

Aeris waved the objection away. “We can make do with it.”

The attendant glanced to the stage nervously. “Well. It’s to be in the play, but there’s only two parts for audience members and-“

“Details, details-“ She waved her hand again. “Sounds fun!” She glanced to Cloud and Tifa in turn. “Right?”

“Sure?”

“Maybe?”

It would be. Aeris lead them backstage and into their roles. Slightly disappointing the staff so quickly plumped for Cloud to play Alfred. Being the hero sounded kind of fun. Aeris let Tifa take the role of Princess Rosa. Leaving a quandary. Wizard or Evil Dragon King?


End file.
